DRAFT AGENDA EARTH DATA SCIENCE IN THE ERA OF BIG DATA AND COMPUTE The complexity, diversity, and volume of Earth science data have increased significantly over recent decades. Discovery, access, and interaction with big data collected from numerous sources are increasingly used to explore natural, human and social systems at unprecedented scales while providing us with tremendous opportunities to gain dynamic insight into complex phenomena through big compute (e.g. cloud and high-performance computing) approaches. Though such data have started playing important roles in many Earth science and engineering domains and promise to enable a wide range of decision-making practices with significant societal impacts, Earth data science remains to be established for advancing Earth science and engineering and education in the era of big data and compute. OVERARCHING OBJECTIVE This meeting aims to identify key challenges and opportunities of Earth data science in the era of Big Data and Compute. Wednesday, April 29, 2015 Keck Center, Room 208 Register for In Person or WebEx Connection via SurveyGizmo 8:00 AM – 4:45 PM OPEN SESSION 8:00-9:00 Breakfast (all welcome) 9:00 Welcome and introductions 9:15 Keynote Speakers Corale Brierley, Chair Board on Earth Sciences and Resources Timothy Killeen, Incoming President, University of Illinois Andrew Turner, Chief Technology Officer, Esri R&D DC Questions and Discussion 10:45 Break Panel Format: Each panelists will speak for ~10 minutes followed by a moderated panel discussion and question period. 11:00 Panel 1: Science and Engineering Drivers for Earth Data Science Characteristics of cutting-edge Earth science and resource problems that drive the need for big data and compute: CyberGIS, CZO, IPCC climate models, surface processes, hydrological models, lidar, next generation SAR, quantifying uncertainty in large-scale analysis and modeling, agent-based models for coupled humanenvironmental systems, citizen science Lee Allison, Arizona State Geological Survey Patrick Reed, Cornell University Chaitanya Baru, National Science Foundation (invited) MODERATOR: Gene Whitney, BESR Member 12:30 PM -1:30 1:30 Lunch (served in the room, open to all) Panel 2: Earth Data Science: Foundations and Principles How do we collect, access, manage, process, analyze, visualize, interpret and curate Earth big data? What are the novel approaches to the science of Earth big data and needs for future development of data cyberinfrastructure? E. Lynn Usery, USGS Carole Palmer, University of Washington Timothy Ahern, IRIS Scott Hills, Chevron MODERATOR: Meghan Miller, BESR Member 3:00 3:15 Break Panel 3: Frontiers and Future Directions of Earth Data Science What frontiers are yet to be explored and are future directions identified for advancing earth data science and engineering, and earth sciences and their applications, more generally? What challenges still exist and where are the greatest opportunities for future research, technology, education, and transformative gains? Shaowen Wang, University of Illinois Sean Dessureault, Mine Intelligence Research Group Craig Dobson, NASA Earth Surface and Interior MODERATOR: Mary Poulton, BESR Member 4:45 Adjourn OPEN SESSION